A. Schertzos: The osmosis of elected officials and technocrats is a conquest

“The osmosis of elected officials and technocrats is a conquest. It deepens democracy, enriches it – it helps politicians to operate more technocratically and experts to think more politically so that together we can organize more “intelligent” and innovative state functions” he emphasizes in an article in newspaper “TA NEA Savvatokyriako” the Minister of State ‘Akis Skertsos, giving an account of the three years of government by the ND. “Thus, the pressing needs of society are identified more quickly and addressed more effectively, the complex and often complex problems of our times are solved,” he adds.

Mr. Skertsos after referring to the great conquests of Greece, focusing on the reduction of unemployment, the reduction of taxes and insurance contributions, the increase of foreign investments but also the shielding of our borders against immigration flows and the strategic alliances with the USA, France, Arab states and Israel, underlines that all this did not happen by chance. “However, they are due to the implementation of a new governance model but also to the society that has matured, demands tangible results and now supports reforms that make the lives of many more durable and better” he notes.

“The rollback was done by planning, measuring and evaluating, by correcting failures and mistakes, by collaborating politicians and experts with research, management and other technical skills,” he adds.

Concluding, the Minister of State points out that as new hybrid threats form a scene of uncertainty and instability, in our neighborhood and more widely, “we cannot afford – dare I say it would be suicide – to go back to populist experiments and forget the reasons that brought the Greece on the brink”.

“We owe it to the young people, the real losers of the previous decade, who rightfully demand from us that they can live better than their parents,” emphasizes Mr. Skertsos.

The following is the article by the Minister of State Akis Skertsou

Three years of politicians and technocrats – an account

The mission of every government is to move the country forward and improve the lives of citizens, primarily the most vulnerable. Where are we after three years – full of major imported unprecedented crises – that put and are putting to the test even strong economies, let alone the Greek one?

With confidence and without hesitation we can say that today Greece and the Greeks are further ahead and higher in Europe and the world. We achieved it together with society, together with the citizens.

Greece in 2021 recorded the 3rd strongest recovery in the EU of 27 (8.3% GDP growth, 7% in the first quarter of this year).

Added more than 200,000 new jobs amid pandemic (unemployment down almost 5 points).

52 taxes were reduced – ENFIA by 34% – and contributions to natural persons and businesses.

With the doubling of the minimum wage, low-wage workers – together with the reduction of contributions – secure more than an additional 15th salary.

A total of €51 billion has been made available to support jobs, businesses and incomes due to the pandemic and energy crisis, while at the same time public debt locked in fixed interest rates is being reduced.

1,500 new digital services of the state facilitate the daily life of all of us.

Thanks to the Recovery Fund and the NSRF, which together with the agricultural funds provide a cumulative €80 billion until 2027, the largest social policy program in recent history is being implemented. We are expanding the full-day public school, strengthening public health with the free personal doctor, modernizing the labor market with the digital employee card, digitizing the EFKA for faster issuance of pensions, implementing the largest new infrastructure program (65 major projects 13.9 billion euros) almost twice the value of the projects implemented for the 2004 Olympic games.

Even within this three-year period, Greece recorded a 20-year record in Foreign Direct Investments and a historic record in exports. Next August we exit the 12-year period of memoranda and enhanced supervision, we repaid the IMF early and we are now one step away from returning to investment grade.

In the field of security, we shielded our borders against migration flows, strengthened the deterrent and defense capacity of the country with a 5.5 billion euro armament program and enlarged the borders of our territory by demarcating the EEZ with Italy and Egypt, expanded the our strategic alliances with the US, France, Arab states and Israel.

All this did not happen by accident. And we are aware that much remains to be done in justice, in health, in the welfare state, in the empowerment of young people, in the policy for more affordable housing, in the energy autonomy of the country.

However, they are due to the implementation of a new model of governance but also to the society that has matured, demands tangible results and now supports reforms that make the lives of many more durable and better.

Retrenchment was done by planning, measuring and evaluating, by correcting failures and mistakes, by collaborating politicians and experts with research, management and other technical skills.

Here I want to give my personal experience: the osmosis of elected officials and technocrats is a conquest. It deepens democracy, enriches it – it helps politicians to operate more technocratically and experts to think more politically so that together we can organize government functions more “smartly” and innovatively. In this way, the pressing needs of society are identified more quickly and dealt with more effectively, the complex and often complicated problems of our times are solved.

As new hybrid threats form a scene of uncertainty and instability, in our neighborhood and more widely we cannot afford – dare I say it would be self-inflicted – to turn back to populist experiments and forget the reasons that brought Greece to the brink of the cliff. We owe it to the young, the real losers of the last decade, who rightly demand from us that they can live better than their parents.

Source: AMPE